The higher levels of anxiety about speaking out in countries such as china, korea, and japan indicate that

The higher levels of anxiety in this particular case is indicative of higher levels of danger. If one (or a group) feels stressed in any particular event it is suffice to say that there contains stressors in the environment. It is possible that here is a high level of risk that is associated with speaking out in such places. In the United States, freedom of speech is ensured by the constitution, and enforced by the government. That means citizens can feel at ease when expressing their opinions, stress free. However in places such as China, Korea, and Japan it is not the case.